Learning Curve
by hazelmom
Summary: McGee learns something new about love. A sequel to A Domesticated Guy. Gibbs/McGee Slash
1. Chapter 1

6

A/N: I have taken a week-long hiatus from Surviving Winter so I can regroup. A sequel to A Domesticated Guy has been gnawing at me and is much easier to write among the chaos of cleaning up after a tornado. This will be 6 chapters, far shorter than my more epic endeavors. This is a new world and new language for me, and I will try not to embarrass myself here. I respect that it may not be a pairing that works for you. I will have a new Surviving Winter chapter by the end of this week.

If you are so inclined, I would love to hear from you. Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 1

McGee sat at his computer and struggled to focus. Their case was heating up. He and Gibbs had the last two days tracking down Chief Petty Officer Arnold Hansen, accused of raping and killing two women in the D.C. area. Their visit to his hometown had been fruitful and they'd hurried back to the office this morning, tracking Hansen to a number of possible hideouts among relatives in Maryland.

McGee was trying to pin down the last of three addresses, but it was proving elusive. On a normal day, he would be frustrated with his lack of progress, but today was not normal, and it had nothing to do with Hansen.

Images of the previous night in the hotel kept hitting his consciousness like storm warnings; showing up with intensity and then disappearing again before they could be processed. He had to type the last address three times in order to get it right because when he looked at his fingers, it reminded him of Gibbs' fingers sliding underneath his boxers to settle on his ass. It was both horrifying and exciting, and McGee couldn't help but feel that everyone around him could see each of these illicit images.

Gibbs swung into the bullpen, startling McGee. "Do you have that last address, McGee?"

"Almost," he croaked, his face burning.

"Almost is the same as nothing, McGee!"

"I know, Boss. Five minutes." The shame of not rising to the challenge flooded through his body. Gibbs, on the other hand, was focused; so focused that there would be no way anyone would guess that he'd woken up that morning with his junior agent naked in his arms.

"Ziva, what do you have from the Maryland State Police on the addresses we've given them so far?"

McGee breathed again once the attention was off him.

"State police are on site at both locations. No sign of Hansen."

Tony looked up. "We don't find him now and he's going to run."

"Ya' think?" Gibbs glared.

Magic happened and McGee popped up like a puppet. "Last address, Boss."

"Get it to Ziva." Gibbs took off for MTAC again, disappearing as quickly as he'd appeared.

"Must have been some trip to West Virginia, McGee," Tony observed.

McGee stared at him. "Why?"

"Boss is like a cougar today. I'd hate to be in his sights. And you look like the rabbit he's been chasing."

"Shut up, Tony!" The tension flooded through him.

Tony cocked his head. "Hey, I wasn't meaning to criticize. It just looks like maybe Boss rode you a little hard over the last two days."

McGee's green eyes widened. Sometimes, it was impossible to know if Tony was baiting him or truly sympathizing with him. He could feel the color deepen in his cheeks, and he couldn't trust his voice so he mumbled something under his breath and disappeared in the direction of the bathroom. It was only when he was locked in a stall that he was able to breathe again. Images flooded through, and this time he allowed them space.

Jethro Leroy Gibbs had seduced him. 24 hours ago, he would have bet $10,000 that it would have been impossible to do. And yet, thinking back on the night, it had really taken very little on Gibbs' part before Tim was panting for him. Gibbs had been gentle and slow, and each exquisite moment had been branded in McGee's memory like a tattoo. In the midst of desire, there had been no embarrassment. Kissing his boss had felt like the most natural thing in the world. Boss had been right. It was aerobic. There'd been so much freedom for him to tug and bite and tongue in ways that he would have been reluctant to do with a woman. Every spot Gibbs had touched on his body felt electric as if he had never been touched before. Gibbs' hand on his cock for the first time had left him a drooling idiot. 24 hours ago, McGee had been a confirmed heterosexual, and now he was reeling from an encounter that was definitely not heterosexual but was most definitely erotic.

"McGee, you okay?"

He jumped off the toilet seat. "Damn it, DiNozzo! Can't you leave me alone for two minutes?"

"Is something wrong with you?"

"No!" McGee shook in his frustration. "Leave me alone."

"Perhaps, he is right, Tony."

McGee rolled his eyes. "Get out of the men's room, Ziva! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"American Puritanism," Ziva observed drily.

"Whatever," Tony said. "Probie's right. He needs space."

"This is what I said."

"Alright, Ziva, let's get your tight little ninja ass out of here."

"It is quite tight, isn't it?" McGee heard her say as the men's room door closed again.

He knew he couldn't hide in the men's room all day. In fact, he was almost tempted to jerk himself off in the stall to relieve some of the pressure, but Timothy McGee was a little too formal about workplace behavior and he couldn't trust that someone wouldn't come in and hear something telling. There was no place to successfully hide in this building.

It reminded him of the conversation He and Gibbs had that very morning with Hansen's brother, Larry. Larry had talked about how private his brother was. He'd told them that Arnie had disappeared in the past, usually turning up at a cousin's house after a week or two. This was what had inspired their current manhunt, but there was something else that Larry said. He'd mentioned that although Arnie had docked at many places around the world, he'd said that San Francisco had been the most exotic. Arnie had told his brother that a person could disappear in a place like that and become whoever he needed to be.

Larry Hansen was a rather small-minded man, and had told Arnie that it sounded like "fag talk" to him. Apparently, San Francisco carried only that dimension for some people around the country. McGee realized that he wasn't remembering this moment because of his own sexuality crisis but because disappearing in San Francisco might be exactly what Arnie Hansen was thinking when he ran from his post yesterday morning.

McGee burst out of the stall and raced for his desk. Dulles was the closest airport for Hansen with the most variety of flights. He started in typing in direct flights to San Francisco, single man, ticket bought at gate. Impatiently, he bypassed airline security, and within 20 minutes, he had an A. Hansen, same age and general description, departing out of Dulles 6:30 a.m. that very morning. He stood up. "Where's Gibbs?"

McGee ran for the stairs, taking them two by two until he landed in the basement. Then he jogged into Abby's lab. He found them together as he often did; Abby, animated, showing him her latest find, and him watching her quietly, a fresh Caf-Pow in his hand. McGee was tempted to wait. Abby spent so much time alone in her lab that she truly savored these moments with Gibbs, but the case demanded otherwise.

"I found him!" He declared.

They both looked at him in surprise.

"He took an early morning flight to San Francisco. Remember Larry from this morning talking about how it was the most exotic place that Arnie had ever been? Made me think that Arnie might see it as the perfect place to disappear."

Gibbs looked startled, and then a corner of his mouth curled up. "Good work, McGee!"

For a moment, it almost rivaled having the man's strong hand on his cock, and then McGee remembered himself.

"Get two tickets to San Francisco and alert the local office in Frisco."

McGee ran out of the room and up the stairs. He hadn't made it to the first landing before he heard his name. He turned to find Gibbs behind him. He waited until Gibbs reached him. This new Gibbs didn't stop until his face was mere inches from McGee, his breath soft on McGee's cheek, and he had to stifle an urge to groan. Gibbs put a hand on his back softly. "Tim, I'm going to be taking Tony."

McGee nodded as he struggled to analyze the meaning of such a statement.

"You've broken every lead in this case. Rightfully, you should be the one to follow it to the end, but I can't let you do it right now."

McGee searched his face for further clarification.

"This case is too important, and as leader, I'm responsible for its resolution. You're a distraction for me right now. There is too much left that's unsaid, things that need to be processed. I'm bad at communication on my best days. It would be ridiculous to even attempt it now. And we can't do both at the same time. You have to understand."

Something deeper than mere disappointment gathered in McGee's gut, but he nodded as expected.

"While I'm gone, I need you to just focus on the case. Nothing else. Can you do that?"

"Yes," he said in a whisper.

"We won't talk about this again until I get home. Understood?"

McGee nodded again.

"Just remember that it was all real."

For a moment, they both stood, breathing together, but silent. McGee had a thousand questions about what that meant, but now was not the time. So he swallowed and said. "I got to get those tickets for the both of you."

He took off up the stairs before Gibbs could say another word.

….

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

7

A/N: Thanks for the great response so far. I feel like I understand the beginning, middle, and the end of this story. I have to get back to Surviving Winter, but this is really, really fun to write just now. Thanks for reading and giving me feedback. Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 2

He looked at the alarm clock and it flashed 4:00 a.m. at him. He was supposed to be up in two hours and yet he still hadn't gone to sleep. He tossed again on his bed, his body naked on top of his comforter. The air conditioner was on, but he couldn't seem to cool enough to climb under the sheets.

For many hours, he'd parroted Gibbs' words in his head. Stay focused on the case. Stay focused on the case. It worked for approximately 8 minutes out of every hour until he would hook a sentence or a look that Gibbs had given him and obsess on its meaning. It was the second night in a row he wasn't sleeping.

Last night he had also struggled with sleep, his mind and body wired with sensation. He'd tossed and turned for hours against Gibbs' quiet form until he'd finally fallen into a restless sleep. When he finally woke, he reached for the man, but the bed was empty. He'd lifted his sleepy head, and found Gibbs sitting and staring at him from the bed next to his, completely dressed and holding a large coffee. "Boss?"

Gibbs smiled. "Thought I'd enjoy the view before the day got started."

McGee was suddenly aware that he was sprawled on his stomach naked on top of the blankets. He blushed.

"I brought you one of those fruity coffees you like so well."

McGee frowned. "Fruity…coffee?"

"You know. Raspberry or peach or whatever your generation puts in to make coffee taste like a milkshake."

Tim winced. "You brought me peach coffee, Boss?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know. I asked for something fruity, and this is what I got."

"Thanks, I think."

"You going to get up?"

McGee considered his options. "Ah, you have me at a disadvantage, Boss."

"Didn't both you last night." There was the essence of a challenge in his words.

McGee stared at him for a long moment, aware that he was possessed by an unrelenting desire for the man's touch. Slowly, he turned onto his side, his long, lean body on display for Gibbs.

Gibbs took a deep breath. "You're a beautiful man, Tim McGee."

McGee felt a shiver run through him, aware that his cock was standing at half-mast, but his eyes never left Gibbs.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "I wish we had more time for…uh, discussion and such, but we need to be on the road in fifteen minutes."

McGee jerked to a sitting position. "What time is it?"

"6:45."

"Seriously? Oh God, I overslept." Modesty forgotten, McGee scrambled for his overnight bag.

Gibbs leaned against the headboard and watched him. "I turned off the alarm. Thought you needed the extra hour. I mean, it took you so long to fall asleep and then you were so squirrelly. Felt like I was sleeping with a litter of puppies."

McGee ignored him as he rifled through his bag for his toiletries.

Gibbs sipped on his coffee. "I reckon you're going to have to skip steps 3-7 of your tooth brushing routine if you want to have time for a shower. Might I recommend a cold shower for you, McGee. Otherwise, it's going to be a long day."

McGee jerked his head in the direction of the alarm again. 4:11 a.m. His head fell back onto the pillow. It wasn't sexual frustration that denied him sleep. He'd solved that problem five minutes after he'd gotten home the night before and then again an hour after that.

It was the fact that Leroy Jethro Gibbs had turned his life upside down, and McGee was struggling to make sense of it. His inability to relax and let life happen was all McGee. His teammates would've let it be: allowing it to either grow or die a natural death, but McGee couldn't content himself with uncertainty like that. He was desperate to understand what had just happened to him.

….

Ziva had enough tact to not say anything about the dark shadows under his eyes. Abby had no such filter and so he did his best to stay away from the lab. He adopted a mood to match the dark shadows so few others even attempted small talk. He was able to stay pretty focused on the case until Tony called. He picked up to hear, "Hey! Did you have to stay in the same room as Boss in West Virginia?"

McGee froze.

"No, I'm serious. Boss is making me share a room with him. I hate it when he does that. He makes me go to bed super early."

McGee breathed. "He, uh…probably doesn't want you running around town all night."

"It's San Fransisco, McGee! The clubs here are fantastic! Gay and straight."

"What do you want from me?"

"There's got to be some kind of policy or memo or something that says you don't have to sleep with your boss if you don't want to. Find it!"

Tim's gut clenched and he almost dropped the phone.

"Oh God, McGee! Are you there! Get your mind out of the gutter. You know what I'm trying to say. Nobody's that stupid."

McGee had become Alice and he'd fallen down the rabbit hole. There were so many ways to respond to Tony's last statement, but he had no idea how the world worked anymore. He hit end on his cell phone and laid it down on the desk. He looked up at Ziva. "Um, Tony's going to call you. He's mad about…things. I can't…talk to him. Just tell him my phone broke or something."

Ziva looked at him strangely. "You okay, McGee?"

He forced a smile. "Little trouble sleeping. Forget to bring my DiNozzo repellent spray or something. I just need to go and take a walk."

She nodded. "Don't worry. I'll hold things down here."

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the elevator. Behind him he could hear Ziva answer her phone and start barking, "Tony, you are a pig! What did you say to him?...No excuses, you idiot!..."

…

McGee stood slightly behind Ziva, Ducky, and Abby at the afternoon MTAC briefing even though he was technically running it. Tony droned on about the number of bars they had stopped at that were generally frequented by sailors on leave. "We've been to 7 of these places so far and have another 34 on our list. Come on, guys. This is going to take a week. Throw us a bone. You must have found someone who went on shore leave with him there."

McGee sighed. "We have three names, Tony. One of them is on his way here. Ziva and I will be interviewing him within a couple of hours. Another one is on a battle ship cruiser. I'm trying to set up an MTAC feed, and the third one we haven't found. Apparently, he's taking his shore leave very seriously. He's due back at base by 0700 tomorrow. We'll catch him there."

Tony frowned. "What's wrong with you, McGee? You're off your game. We need intelligence if we're going to find this guy."

McGee scowled at the screen. "I am not off my game! If you were here, what would you do differently! Come on! I'd like to know."

Tony turned to Gibbs. "This is what I'm saying. He's mr. hairtrigger and he looks like hell. I think he's sick or something."

Gibbs answered him with a head slap and a glare. "Leave him alone, DiNozzo!"

McGee rolled his eyes. "I'm just fine!"

Ducky studied him. "You do look peaked, Timothy."

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" Abby said, her green eyes concerned.

McGee reddened. Secrets seemed to the refuge of everyone but sweet Timmy McGee.

"McGee."

Tim looked up at the screen.

Gibbs was staring only at him. "It's a tough case, McGee. We're all feeling it. Keep your eye on the ball and we're going to be fine. Just like I told you before I left."

Tim stared back and nodded.

Tony frowned. "Well, at least let Ducky check you out just in case you're sick."

"Tony!" yelled a chorus of voices on both coasts.

…..

Tony sat down at the bar next to Gibbs. He nodded to the bartender. "Two of whatever he's having."

Gibbs sighed. "I don't feel like talking."

Bartender set down two bourbons neat. Tony picked one up. "You don't have to say anything. I'm the one who can't get it right."

Gibbs gave him an odd look.

DiNozzo sighed. "I got these animal instincts. Was born with them. Law enforcement or crime were my only real options in life. Like to think I picked the right path. When I saw you and McGee yesterday morning I knew something was off big time. I could feel it."

Gibbs took a long draw off his bourbon and stared straight ahead at the mirror behind the bar.

"I got these great instincts, but I never know when to back off. I push and I push and I push. If I had any brains, I would learn to sit back and let things be…whatever they are."

Gibbs sighed. "You're a big brother to him. A sensitive, gentle-hearted man like McGee needs a protector. A man like that can get hurt pretty easy."

Tony grimaced as the fiery liquid slid down his throat. "I think we always have to remember that he didn't get to be a kid like you and I did, you know. He started college before he was 16. He was always years younger than his peers and he's always been too decent for his own good. People have always bullied him for his youth or taken advantage of his brilliance. He didn't have many experiences in life. Instead, he took refuge in the books and the computers. It was where he felt safe. He is still just learning what life is beyond that refuge.

"That's a pretty good analysis, Tony."

"Yeah. Well, I figure a guy like McGee doesn't need protectors as much as he needs teachers. He needs to know what's out there. You know how he loves to learn."

Gibbs resisted the urge to smile in response.

Tony looked at Gibbs. "I'm not going to pretend I know what I am talking about, but I think my probie has discovered something new about himself, and he's struggling to make sense of it."

For a few minutes, both men let that statement sit.

"Aren't you worried he might get taken advantage of?" Gibbs' fingers had tightened around his lowball glass.

"No. People don't take a risk this big for anything other than love."

Gibbs' face colored. "Damn it, Tony. You know that's a lie. People take stupid risks like this all the time and tread all over other people's hearts, and it doesn't have a damn thing to do with love."

Tony met his eyes. "Not in this case."

"You really don't know what you're talking about here."

"But I know you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Gibbs stared at him a long minute, then shook his head, and signaled for the bartender to pour him another.

…

Tim sat in his Porsche across the street from a bar called Ask and Tell. It was just a few miles from his home in Silver Springs. He'd passed it a thousand times without a second thought, but now it seemed like a very important place to him. Some questions he could wait for Gibbs to answer even if it took him a week to get home, but some questions he needed to learn the answer to all on his own.

…..

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

9

A/N: I am incapable of writing anything else right now. It wasn't until this chapter that I came to understand that the romance between these two is just as compelling as the sex is. You have given me tremendous support here. Please tell me if this is still holding your attention. Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 3

Tim was surprised by the atmosphere inside. He'd been to Gay bars as part of crime scenes in the past. They generally looked like pretty tough places, but Ask and Tell was like a high-end martini bar. His white wine fit in perfectly. He sat at the bar for a while just watching men and some women talking with one another. On any other night, it would be a nice place to hang, but McGee was a man on a mission. He'd been watching a handsome man sitting with a group of friends. His coloring was darker and his eyes were the deepest brown. McGee guessed him to be of East Indian heritage. He leaned over to the bartender and had him send the man a drink, and then sat back and waited.

It only took ten minutes for the rather perplexed man to walk in his direction. Tim introduced himself with a confidence that he didn't fully understand. The man's name was Devinder Kuba, and he was a comptroller for the Food and Drug Administration. McGee told him he was an accountant for the Department of Agriculture.

After 30 minutes of small talk, Tim announced that he needed a little fresh air. Devinder shrugged and followed him outside. They barely got around the back of the building before Tim had his hands on Devinder, pushing him against the brick building. The man was hesistant at first, but allowed Tim to kiss him. McGee wasn't satisfied with simple kissing and got more aggressive. Devinder pushed him away. "Hey, Tim, calm down. We're not shooting a porno here."

Tim looked startled. "I'm sorry."

"You're new to this?"

McGee looked down. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Devinder reached over and pulled Tim's chin up. "Keep it simple." Then he moved in and kissed him softly. Tim responded carefully. For a couple of minutes, the two men kissed softly, and then Tim pulled away, his cheeks flushed.

Devinder shook his head. "Let me guess. You've been dreaming about a good friend at night and waking with a hard-on every time. You can't figure out if it means you're Gay or that you've fallen in love with a man."

"It's the same thing, isn't it?"

"I don't know, Tim. Some people insist on definitions of sexuality and some people just fall in love, and it defies definition."

"Really?"

Devinder shrugged. "It's what I believe."

Suddenly, the shame of what Tim had done hit him. "I just used you. I showed you no respect. I can't believe I just did that. I'm so deeply sorry."

"It's okay, Tim. I let you. Those green eyes were pretty irresistible, but for future reference, there is more to relationships with Gay men than just sex."

"I wanted to know if it would feel the same."

Devinder nodded. "Ah, so you have had a little taste of the forbidden. Well, what do you think?"

"Ah, you're a handsome man, Devinder and a good kisser, but it wasn't the same, not by a long shot."

Devinder chuckled. "My loss but his gain."

Tim looked up. "Are there are other Gay bars around here?"

"The only other one is Grinders. It's about 2 miles west of here, but it's a pretty rough crowd. I wouldn't recommend it. You seem like a really nice guy."

Tim nodded. "Actually, right now, I'm a pretty confused guy."

"Be patient, Tim. There are no simple answers when it comes to matters of the heart."

Tim nodded. "Thanks for being so understanding. I really don't deserve it."

Devinder watched as the strange young man got in a Porsche and took off. There was something oddly touching about him, and Devinder wished he'd at least given him his card.

…

It was 1 a.m. and Tim sat at Grinders nursing an imported beer. Devinder was right. This was definitely not his crowd. It was all men here, playing pool, drinking, dancing, and touching, lots of touching. It was a different atmosphere. It felt a bit predatory. McGee had felt eyes on him from the minute he walked in. 40 minutes of stares, some of them leering, told McGee that tonight's lesson in sexuality had come to an end. He was about to get up when a man sat down beside him, a Semper Fi tattoo on his forearm. "How are you doing there, friend? My name is Tate."

"McGee," he said as he shook hands.

"Never seen you here before."

"First time," McGee said. He got a good look at the man. He was maybe ten or fifteen years older, dark-haired with steel blue eyes. "You're a Marine, I see."

Tate nodded. "Twenty four years. I'm a Staff Sergeant. I retire in 9 months…although I probably shouldn't keep saying that. It makes me sound so old."

Tim smiled. "My dad's Navy. I know what retirement means for people in the military."

"I'm here with my friends. They're those guys playing pool." Tate pointed. "The two with the flannel shirts."

McGee strained his head to see.

"Finish your beer, McGee. I'll buy you another one."

"Well, actually, I was thinking of heading out for the night."

"Come on. I just sat down. Indulge me."

McGee shrugged. He downed what was left and thanked Tate when the next one appeared. Conversation with Tate came easy. McGee even thought about telling him about Gibbs, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about that which he understood so very little.

He was only a few sips into his new beer before a weird exhaustion swept over him. His mind felt clouded. Tate leaned over and told him that he looked tired. He offered to walk Tim out to his car. McGee felt grateful for the man's kindness. Tate picked up his keys when McGee dropped him, and spoke to him softly. Outside, McGee noticed that Tate was leading him away from his car.

Slurring his words, he pointed out the mistake, but Tate ignored him. Then there were other voices, and McGee understood that there was something wrong. He pulled away from Tate and landed against a pickup. He couldn't get his vision to focus, and then he understood he'd been drugged. Tate was on him, but McGee was fighting back. He was able to pull away again, but ended up in the arms of another man. "Tate, you found yourself a fighter, didn't you?"

"Hurry. We got to get him in the car quick before someone takes notice."

McGee felt a punch to his face and another to his gut. He could barely orient himself to which directions the attacks originated. Someone kicked him in the thigh and he felt himself falling, but then he saw Ziva's face in his head. He reached for purchase and found the wheel on the truck. He used this to pull himself upright. That's what Ziva would tell him. _Never let them get you on the ground_. Still disoriented, he knew enough to not wait for someone to hit him again. _Don't wait for the blows. Initiate them._ He heard something to his right and rounded his leg in that direction just as she taught him. His foot hit something soft and someone groaned. _Never rest between blows. If there is someone in front, undoubtedly, there is something behind you. _He twisted his body quickly and threw a punch at the blob ahead of him. He connected with a shoulder. More blows rained on him, but he kept striking back. This time someone grabbed his leg and jerked upward. His balance was lost and he landed hard on the asphalt.

…

He opened his eyes to the sharp glare of overhead lights. He grimaced and closed them again. He took a minute to breath and in that time, he remembered that he'd been on the losing end of mismatched fight. He heard a very familiar chuckle and rolled his head in that direction. "Ducky?"

Someone was patting his shoulder. "Yes, my boy, I am right here."

"Thank God. I didn't know where I was going to end up." He opened his eyes again and could make out the blurry form of his friend.

"You were a very lucky man tonight. Some men were loading you into the trunk of a car when help arrived."

"God! I'm such an idiot."

"No arguments here, Timothy."

"Someone from the bar stopped them?"

"Actually, he says he's a friend of yours. He left his card. His name is Devinder Kuba. Got worried about you going over to Grinders by yourself so he and his friends went over to check on you. The men took off when Kuba and his friends showed up."

"Devinder? I just met him last night. He works for the Food and Drug Administration."

Ducky looked at the card. "Actually, his card says that he's FBI."

Tim blinked. "He lied to me?"

"Funny that. He seemed to think you worked for the Department of Agriculture."

McGee ran a hand over his face and discovered a puffy eye and a very sore jaw. "Part of my campaign of sheer idiocy. I must look like hell."

"In a bit, you'll be feeling like that as well. The Rohypnol they slipped you has a bit of pain reliever in it. As it wears off, you'll be feeling everything."

McGee groaned. "The date rape drug? Oh God, Boss is going to kill me."

"I wouldn't worry about that, dear Timothy. Left to your own devices, I expect your poor judgment will get you first."

He rolled his throbbing head away from Ducky and let his arm drape across his face. "Did you talk to Boss yet?"

Ducky sighed. "It's 3 a.m. where he is and you weren't dying."

"Do you have to tell him?"

"No, Timothy, it's your life. I'm only here because I am your medical proxy. But make no mistake, he will find out. This you know."

"I know." McGee's voice broke. "Can I be alone for while, Ducky?"

Ducky gripped his shoulder. "You'll hear me out before I go. You are a very special young man. You are kind and good and hardworking and you have the most magnificent brain. You have made a home among extraordinary people and you are loved by all of us dearly. Losing you would pierce our hearts in ways I have not felt since Kate passed. Do you remember how excruciating that was?"

Tim nodded, his face still hidden in his arm.

"You're experiencing a rather profound crisis now. I've noticed it only in the last few days, but I wonder if it hasn't been there much longer. You seek so diligently the love and caring of another, and yet every attempt to find love had ended in disappointment and pain. I see how it wears on you. I see how you blame yourself for these failures time and again."

McGee stiffened beneath him.

"Timothy, I choose not to speculate as to what happened this last evening. Perhaps, new discoveries about love have come your way. I do not know. I only know that I beg that you do not hide yourself from those who love you. Don't shut us out. Let us be there for you. Let us help you navigate whatever is happening to you. Please, think about that, my dear boy. We would be so lost if something happened to you."

McGee reached over and grabbed the hand Ducky put on his shoulder, tears running down his battered face. "I'm so sorry, Ducky. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"There, there, my boy," Ducky said, careful to pat only the un-bruised portion of his face. "There is nothing to forgive, but when you play careless with your life, you are also playing careless with our hearts. Never forget that."

….

Ziva looked at the screen, her hands held behind her back. "Last night when McGee and I conferred, we decided that Rupert's Strip Club is really your best bet. Two of Hansen's friends mentioned that he liked going there very much. One of them says he is sweet on a woman named Jasmine."

Both Tony and Gibbs scowled at her. Gibbs frowned, "We know that. We are staking it out. Let's go back to the part where you said that McGee is home sick today. What does that mean?"

Ziva shrugged. "It means that he is not feeling well. Ducky told me not to bother him."

Tony narrowed his eyes at her. "Last winter McGee worked a week after being diagnosed with pneumonia before we caught on. When McGee stays home because he says he is not feeling well, it suggests that perhaps a large oak tree fell on him, breaking his back in three places and he's waiting a day to see if the bones will set on their own."

She glared back. "You think I did not push Ducky on this? He is immovable on the subject. McGee's phone doesn't answer and I would be on my way to Silver Springs right now to kick down his door if I didn't have to waste time arguing with you on MTAC."

"That's enough out of both of you. If McGee has called in sick, then we'll leave him alone."

Tony turned to him. "In other words, you're going to call Ducky and make him give it up."

Gibbs didn't even bother with the head slap. "Both of you have plenty of work to do. So go do it."

…..

Ducky leaned against the counter and spoke into his phone. "He's fine, Jethro! He had a mishap; something he's quite embarrassed by, but I am watching him closely."

"So you won't tell me."

"He gave me permission to tell you, but I just prefer not to. Can you not content yourself with the fact that he is okay? You can speak with him when you get back. It will all be very clear then."

"Duck, you don't understand. I think I might have something unforgiveable to McGee; something that has left him very confused. Something happened in West Virginia…something between the two of us."

Ducky's mouth dropped. "Oh my goodness! It all makes sense now."

"That's why you have to tell me what happened."

"Jethro, he's a grown man. He's a consenting adult."

"Tell me!"

"He was confused, I suppose. He went to a couple of Gay bars looking for answers."

Gibbs groaned. "Of course he did."

"The second bar was rougher. A man who happened to be a Marine chatted him up and dosed him with Rohypnol. This man and his friends tried to kidnap him. McGee resisted and got beat up. A friend of McGee's came upon them putting him in a trunk of a car and rescued him."

"Oh my God! A Marine did this?"

"McGee can't remember the man's name yet. He's still sleeping off the drug. He's terribly ashamed and embarrassed. He's mortified that you have to know."

"This is my fault, Duck. I'm responsible."

"Oh Jethro!"

"He's so beautiful and sweet and I thought that there was a chance…I thought that there could be something…I could watch over him, give him space to grow, teach him things, and in return, he could bring some goodness into my life and it wouldn't be quite so lonely anymore. I am…such a fool."

"He's fine. He needs to sleep it off, and the bruises will fade quickly. More than anything he needs to see you. My advice to you, old friend, is that you find this bastard quickly, come home, and sit down with McGee. Nothing is broken and all can be fixed. And between you and I, the look in that boy's eyes when we talked of you tells me that your dream might not be yours alone."

"It's impossible."

"Enough! Find that serial killer and get your arse back here so you can fix this."

….

Two hours later, DiNozzo sat down next to a man wearing a hoodie at Rupert's Strip Club. The man in the hoodie was intent on the dancing of one Jasmine Jones, 24 years old yet living life with the weariness of someone twice her age. DiNozzo nudged the hoodie and grinned, "She is smokin', my friend."

The hoodie ignored him.

DiNozzo nudged him again. "I mean it, Arnie. She is one hot mama!"

The hoodie leaped up and headed for the door. Tony was ready, extending a foot and hooking Hansen's leg when he rushed past. Hansen fell headlong into a cocktail waitress with a tray of margaritas. DiNozzo stepped on him until the locals swarmed in.

DiNozzo stood next to Gibbs as local LEO's and NCIS agents argued over where to house Hansen. Tony leaned over, "I'm interrogating the son of a bitch."

Gibbs frowned. "We both are."

"Nope. Your bag is packed. Your flight leaves in about 90 minutes."

Gibbs glared. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Tony didn't blink. "I'm the guy who's going to get a confession out of Hansen while you get back to D.C. and make sure McGee's okay."

"We'll do it together. Probably only take an hour or two."

"No can do. Ziva's pissed. She doesn't know a damn thing about what's going on, but there is something wrong with her McGee and she's been told to keep her hands off. She calls every 30 minutes. I can no longer appease her. Once she breaks down his door and takes custody of him, it's anyone's game. You're getting on that flight, Boss."

"I can't just leave, DiNozzo."

"Actually, you can. And if you are half the man I've always believed you were, you will."

…


	4. Chapter 4

9

A/N: There are two more chapters left after this. I rewrote the first part of this maybe three times. I'm trying to keep everyone in character. While I appreciate the BDSM aesthetic, it is not a direction I chose to take. I want to make sure that I can truly imagine them saying and doing all of this. Thanks for the tremendous support you've given me. I love hearing from you. Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 4

For a moment, Tim couldn't distinguish the pounding on his door with the pounding in his head. However, Jethro up and barking, clarified the distinction. He opened his eyes and the alarm read 3:21 a.m. He frowned and slowly swung his bruised body off the bed. He switched on a light and squinted. In only his boxers, he padded into the hallway and shushed the German shepherd. He looked through the keyhole and his breath caught. "God help me," He whispered softly.

The moment he undid the lock, Gibbs pushed the door in. McGee stepped back but it wasn't far enough because Gibbs caught his face in his hands. McGee could feel his hot breath on his cheeks and he pushed forward eager to capture Gibbs' mouth. Gibbs held him back, "Easy Tim, I want to see what they did to you."

Tim looked at him. "I'm so sorry, Boss. I know you don't like apologies because they are a sign of weakness, but that's exactly what happened here. I was weak."

Gently, he pushed him back into the bedroom and the light. "Shush, Tim. Don't talk. Just lay down."

Gibbs helped him as he sat stiffly and supported him as he lay back. Gibbs sat on the bed beside him. He started at his face, gently touching Tim's black eye and his swollen cheek. "They hit you hard here."

Tim nodded.

"How many?"

"There were three of them."

Gibbs' hand trailed down his bare chest stopping at the angry welt on Tim's right shoulder. Then moving down to the two big, red-purple bruises on his rib cage and then the largest bruise trailing from his hip to his thigh.

"They got you on the ground and kicked the hell out of you. All Marines?"

"I think so."

"Bastards!"

McGee caught his roaming hand. "Let me explain. Please!"

Gibbs shook his head. "You don't need to. I understand."

"How? I barely do. What I felt in West Virginia was so new, so exciting, and I needed to understand it."

Gibbs nodded. "You wondered if what happened was about you and I or something that could happen between you and any man. I understand. I would have done the same thing."

Tim bit his lip. "You asked me to wait and I couldn't. I'm not like you or Tony or Ziva. I can't shelve my feelings when they're inconvenient. I couldn't sleep…"

Gibbs stroked the undamaged side of his face. "Hush. It's okay. I'm not angry with you. I'm the one who's to blame."

"No." McGee shook his head sharply.

Gibbs sighed. "A good team leader would never proposition one of his people. Never. And if he was so weak as to consider it, he would have that conversation with him and give him time to process it rather than pouncing on him in a dark hotel room."

"No!" McGee struggled to sit up. Gibb tried to push him back, but McGee won out, leaning against Gibbs' arm as he righted himself.

"I was wrong, Tim."

"Stop it, Gibbs. This is my story too. You don't just get to end it however you want. Look at me." McGee grabbed his face roughly. "I wanted it as much as you did. I just didn't know it, but once I felt you on me, I knew it was right. A conversation would have been ridiculous. I had no context. I had no idea what it would feel like when you kissed me that first time. What the hell would I have done with a conversation?"

Gibbs gestured at Tim's bruised body. "Look how I screwed you up."

McGee shook his head, his breath hot on Gibbs' neck. "You didn't screw me up, Gibbs. You woke me up. Can't you see that?"

"No."

"Am I the only one here that felt something in that hotel room?"

Gibbs hesitated before shaking his head.

"You were the one who told me that you'd been thinking about this for years. You told me that you were waiting until you were ready for a guy like me. Were those lies?"

"No." Gibbs couldn't meet his eyes.

McGee dropped soft kisses along Gibbs' jaw line. "Does this feel as amazing to you as it does to me?"

Gibbs gasped and turned his face, meeting McGee's lips. They were gentle with one another. This was not a moment for the aerobics Gibbs tempted McGee with their very first time. Both men were wounded now, bruised on the inside and on the outside. After a few minutes, Gibbs could sense the tension in McGee's torso. "Lay down," he said softly.

"Not unless you're with me," Tim whispered.

Gibbs followed him down. Tim lay on his side while Gibbs explored his torso with gently with his rough hands. Tim groaned and slid his hands under Gibbs' shirt. At the moment he tried to loosen the button on Gibbs' pants, Gibbs stopped him. "No Timmy, tonight is not for that. Just let me take care of you."

McGee relaxed into his pillow. Gibbs furrowed his brow. "I want the men who did this. Did you file a police report?"

"No."

Gibbs looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. "Do you remember their names? Anything about them?"

"My head is still foggy about it."

"You need to try. Imagine what would have happened…imagine what might happen to someone else."

McGee closed his expressive eyes. "I know."

"You remember that the leader was a Marine."

"A Staff Sergeant…close to retirement. I remember that."

Gibbs's breathing tightened. "I want this man. I want him for what he did to you, I want him for what he was going to do to you, and I want him because he dishonors the uniform."

"Yeah," McGee said, running his fingers through Gibbs' silver hair. "Me too."

Gibbs sighed. "I want you to close your eyes and rest now."

McGee searched his eyes.

"I'll stay with you tonight."

There was a sense of finality to it and McGee felt an ache far deeper than his bruises rise up from his gut. "You're not sure about this, are you?"

Gibbs rose up on an elbow. "Honestly, I don't know. I want to be, but I know me. When I get lonely, I allow myself imagine the impossible. I have let myself to nurture the idea of you and me together for a long time, but the truth is that I'm lousy at feelings. I have three ex-wives who would love to tell you all about it. I don't want to hurt you, Tim."

McGee studied him closely.

Gibbs shook his head. "I want you so much, but I just don't know."

McGee reached up and stroked his cheek. "Hey Boss, slow down, okay? Of course, it's risky and it's ill-advised, but I don't care. Letting this happen isn't weakness, it's being human. Don't you think we've worked hard enough, seen enough evil, and suffered enough tragedy to deserve a little something special?"

Gibbs leaned into McGee's hand.

McGee turned Gibbs' face so he could focus on his eyes. "I feel so good when you're next to me like this. I feel alive like a little boy discovering a brand new world. There is so much more I want to know, but I can only learn it from you. No one else can make me feel like this."

"I'm a bastard most days of the week."

McGee grinned. "Yeah, I've met you before."

"I'll screw this up."

"Then I'll have to take that risk."

Gibbs sat up and rubbed his hand roughly over his own face.

McGee lay down slowly and stared up at him. "Forget the bruises for a moment. When you look at me, do you see what you saw in West Virginia?"

Gibbs studied him seriously for a few moments and then spoke slowly. "You're gorgeous to me in every way imaginable. It's not just your beauty. It's your sweetness and your honor and your courage. The list goes on. I have dreamt about this for such a long time. You have no idea. It's hard for me to believe you're really here and that you want what I want."

McGee reached up and stroked his neck. "I can't think of anyone who deserves a dream come true more than you, Boss."

Gibbs smiled. "As much as I like to be in charge, we're going to have to find another name for these…less than professional moments."

Tim laughed. "Come here. Let's just forget the rules and the fears and expectations for a few hours and just be happy."

Gibbs pulled off his shirt and settled in next to McGee. He leaned on his side and carefully draped an arm over Tim's torso, settling his face into his young agent's neck. " You win, Timmy. Tonight, you and I will just be happy."

…

The next morning, McGee could feel Gibbs' eyes on him, watching him much as he did that morning in West Virginia. McGee knew that Gibbs was still at war with himself about this relationship. McGee also knew that it was his turn to be the patient one. He had to let Gibbs battle this in his own way. It was his job to be there when Gibbs' need for love overcame his stubborn logic. McGee understood this kind of patience; he'd practiced it many years with his boss when they faced cases that pulled at Gibbs' demons. When he finally opened his eyes, Gibbs had his shirt on, and was sitting on the bed looking at him. McGee met his eyes. "Good morning."

Gibbs nodded. "I put your pain pills here with some water. I made you a sandwich too. Took my namesake for a short walk. Your refrigerator is sort of bare. Called Ziva. She's dying to see you. She'll bring groceries this afternoon. She'll have lots of questions. Tell her anything you want. I already told Ducky and Tony guessed most of it. Whatever happens, I won't dishonor this by making it a secret."

"Thank you."

Gibbs reached over and trailed his hand down McGee's torso. "I need to take this slow, Tim. I need to go home and do some thinking. Do you understand?"

McGee nodded. "You know where to find me when you're ready, Jethro."

"That came out pretty good, Timmy. I like that." Gibbs leaned down and kissed him lightly on the mouth and then grinned at him. "I liked that a lot."

….

The pain pills kept him sleepy. Normally, he wouldn't give into medications, his body's need for rest was profound. It took him a few minutes to respond to the pounding the door. Jethro had to jump on his bed and bark into his face. Tim groaned as he got up. His body was stiff and it told him that he probably needed to be on his feet more working his muscles. By the time, he got into the hallway, Ziva had already let herself in. A rather bedraggled Tony followed her with the rest. "McGee!" she said as she dragged groceries into the kitchen. He padded after her, forgetting he was still only wearing his boxers.

Ziva froze when she saw him. "Oh my God, Tim. I had no idea."

He blinked and looked down. The bruises on his torso and thigh were deeply purple against his pale skin. "Sorry. Let me get some clothes on."

She caught him before he could get away, shaking her head as she studied each bruise on his body and face. Tony came up behind her. He frowned at Tim. "It looks like you have quite a story to tell us."

Tim blushed and gently pulled away. "I thought you were in L.A., Tony."

"The Israeli here picked me up at the airport after she got done shopping. Go take a shower, Probie. Ziva and I aren't going anywhere."

McGee emerged about 20 minutes in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Ziva was changing the sheets on his bed, and Tony had stocked groceries and washing dishes. Tim groaned. "Please guys, it's okay. You don't need to clean. Just sit down. Please."

Ziva finished his bed while Tony poured coffee for all of them. McGee didn't relax until they sat down with him. He took the coffee from Tony. "I suppose you have questions about this."

"Ya' think?" Tony said, imitating Gibbs.

McGee looked down. "I don't know where to start."

"You've been different." Ziva said. "I know Lauren broke up with you. I know you have been very sad about that."

He nodded. "Honestly, I think I'm pretty used to rejection."

"Then there was something else."

Tim stiffened as he struggled for words.

Tony noticed his discomfort. "Hey Tim, don't worry about all that. Just tell us what happened the other night."

McGee shook his head. "I don't know what to say. I hadn't been sleeping, and I needed to understand something about myself. I went to a couple of Gay bars."

Ziva's eyebrows rose and Tony nodded. "I figured that's what happened."

Ziva punched Tony. "I didn't know this. How long have you been thinking about this and how did Tony know about this?"

Tony pointed at his nose. "The DiNozzo knows. It's a gift."

"Shut up or I will break the DiNozzo."

Tony smiled. "I missed you, my sweet little flower."

McGee cleared his throat. "If you all don't need me—"

Ziva wagged a finger at him. "You are not going anywhere! Go back to your story."

"There isn't much story. Nothing wrong with going to Gay bars, but I had an agenda and I wasn't paying attention. The second one was a rougher bar, and when a Marine started talking to me, I relaxed. He was a Marine, you know, but he slipped me a Rohypnol. He and his friends had some plans to take me somewhere in the trunk of a car, and the rest I would prefer not to contemplate."

"Rasas!" Ziva spit out.

McGee looked up. "You were in my head, Ziva. My mind was foggy, but I remembered enough about what you taught me to keep them off me for a time. Then a friend showed up and chased them off."

"You didn't file a report, did you?" Tony asked.

McGee shrugged. "Of course, I was embarrassed, and yes, I didn't trust that LEO's would treat the situation with respect."

"You were probably right."

"Well, we will not let this sit, McGee. We have a score to settle." Ziva said.

"Yeah, but I need to be the one to settle it. You understand?"

"To a point, Probie. You're not doing this alone. We're a team."

"I should have been able to take care of myself." McGee swallowed his discomfort.

"Yes, yes, but I know you," Ziva said. "When your mind is focused on something, you can't see anything around you. Whatever you were focused on, you were not imagining yourself as a target."

"And believe me, Probie, a Gay predator would find sweet Timmy McGee a tasty morsel."

"Thank you, Tony." McGee rolled his eyes.

"If you ever decide to cruise the scene again, I'm your wing man. It'll be hard because I'm irresistible to your average Gay, but I can dial back the charm so you can shine."

McGee shook his head and laughed. "Sounds good, Tony."

Ziva watched the two of them. "I'm going to make my Moussaka for you. I brought everything with me." She got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

McGee waited until she was gone. "Boss says you've guessed most of what's happened."

"He's been thinking about you for awhile. I've seen it. There's a look he gives you where he wants to smile, but you can tell he's not thinking about anything funny."

"I didn't know."

Tony leaned forward. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

McGee looked down. "I…it feels very special. I didn't know that something like this existed."

Tony nodded. "That's nice, Tim. I just worry that he's always been so important to you—"

"I don't feel a sense of obligation or hero worship. I don't understand what it is, but I have a strong sense of what it isn't."

"He's a complicated man."

McGee looked up. "I know. I may end up with a very broken heart, but I feel compelled to explore this further."

Tony nodded.

"Do you worry that it will change what you have with him?" McGee asked.

"Naw, not really. It would be nice if you were able to make him happy. It would be nice for you too. The back of my head might get a little more rest."

"I'm going to need a friend to talk to; someone who really understands him. Ducky says I need to open up more when I'm stressed."

Tony put his arm around him. "I'm going to be there for you, Timmy."

…

*Rasas means wicked person or criminal in Hebrew

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

6

A/N: One more chapter! This one contains some sexy time. I hope it keeps you engaged. Please let me know! Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 5

It was late in the afternoon on McGee's fourth day back when a man emerged from the elevator and came striding toward the bullpen. McGee had to suppress a grin. FBI agent Devinder Kuba was hot. Tall and handsome, he was wearing a gray suit that fit him like a glove and a lavender shirt, open at the neck. McGee caught his eye and stood up. He walked past Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs and put out his hand. "Devinder, it's so good to see you."

Devinder took his hand, but McGee pulled him into a hug. "I never got a chance to thank you for saving me from those thugs."

Devinder smiled and hugged back. "Not a problem, Tim."

McGee swung around. "Hey guys, this is Agent Devinder Kuba with the FBI. He's the guy who stopped my kidnapping."

Tony jumped up and pumped his hand. "Thanks for watching out for my probie."

Ziva was behind him, and shook his hand. "We owe you a great deal, Devinder."

Then Gibbs was there, shaking his hand solemnly, his expression impossible to read.

McGee pretended not to notice. "Ah, Devinder here got a license plate number, and when I called him about a two days ago, he expressed an interest in helping find these Marines."

Devinder nodded. "Gay community has a hard enough time with predators like these guys. I went through the Metro database and found three kidnappings from bars like Grinders in the last six months. It'll come as no surprise that there are no suspects in these cases."

"I remembered the name of the Sergeant who set me up a couple of days ago."

"Two days ago!" Gibbs's face reddened.

McGee took a deep breath. "I wanted to get some background, and I wanted to retain some control. If I told you all when I remembered it, there would've been nothing left of this guy by the time I got there."

His team gave him hard looks and McGee threw his arms up. "Come on, people. It happened to me yet you've each already staked a claim on this guy. I appreciate the support and everything but geez, if anyone gets a first crack at this guy, it oughta' be me."

"Looks like you have a very protective team, Tim. It's nice to see." Devinder said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, you try being treated like the probie seven years after you've joined a team," McGee grumbled. "Now, if you'll turn your attention to the flat screen, I want to introduce you to Staff Sergeant Lionel Tate."

A hard face with steely blue eyes appeared on the screen. "He is approximately nine months away from retirement. He's had two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He has been decorated with a purple heart, several commendations, and a bronze star. He is a regular war hero. When he is in the states, he trains recruits in hand to hand combat."

Gibbs growled. "I bet there's a history of assaults buried somewhere."

Tim nodded. "You're exactly right, Boss. Four complaints in the last 5 years. Three victims recanted and one pushed forward, but the charge was thrown out by JAG. That last recruit later attempted suicide. I haven't found his current whereabouts. Additionally, the dropout rate in Tate's squad tends to be 10-20% higher than in any other squad on base."

"It's hard to believe that they left him with recruits even if nothing was proven."

"Right. They actually re-assigned him to desk duty about six months ago which is about the time that Metro started getting these kidnapping and assault complaints."

Tony nodded. "My guess is that for every complaint filed, there are at least two that have gone unreported. Metro doesn't have a good relationship with the local Gay community."

"So we go pick these cretins up," Ziva said, arms folded.

McGee looked at Gibbs. "What do you think, Boss? I don't much in the way of evidence other than Devinder. I doubt a guy like this will break under interrogation."

Gibbs nodded. "He's not going to be easy to intimidate, and he's gotten away with it for a long time."

"We have to catch him in the act," Tony said.

"He's arrogant and full of his own power or at least that's the impression I got. I have an idea, but it's pretty bold."

All eyes were on McGee.

…

It was 10 p.m. that same night that Gibbs showed up at his apartment with a six pack of beer. McGee's heart pounded, but he held no expectations. Gibbs had been like the sphinx after Devinder left, and McGee wondered if he was about to get a scolding for withholding information about Tate.

McGee took the beer from him and cracked open a couple before putting the rest in the refrigerator. Gibbs was on his couch, and Tim settled himself on the other end of it. Gibbs took a long draw of his beer while Tim waited.

He looked at McGee. "I'm not mad that you held onto the Tate thing. It was the right thing to do. We have to make the best possible case and get him off the streets."

"Thanks…Jethro."

Gibbs looked at the dog. "Whenever you say my name, I expect the dog to jump on top of me."

Tim smiled. "Dogs rely on tone more than diction."

Gibbs took another drink. "Tell me about Devinder."

McGee shrugged. "I met him on the night I got beat."

"Not good enough. Tell me everything that happened between the two of you."

McGee could hear the jealousy in his voice. "The first bar I went to was the Ask and Tell in Silver Springs. I was on a mission. I needed to know if your kisses were special. I sat at the bar, ordered a wine, and looked for a man to kiss. Devinder caught my eye, and I sent him a drink."

Gibbs finished his beer and reached for McGee's, still untouched. "You picked him out of a crowd. That doesn't sound like you, Timmy."

"I know. I surprised myself. I was desperate for clarity."

"Tell me more."

McGee sighed. "He came over and we started talking. I don't remember anything he said. I just wanted to get him outside so I could kiss him. I was awkward and aggressive, but he came with me, and I pushed him up against the wall of the bar and kissed him hard."

"Then what?" Gibbs asked softly.

"He told me to relax, and so I did, and we tried again. Then I pulled away."

"Why?"

McGee stared at Gibbs. "Because I had my answer. He was a good kisser but he wasn't you. It wasn't electric."

"You barely knew him, Tim."

"It was a kiss, nothing more. With you, it was so much more."

"He's your age and he seems to be a good man. I saw how he looked at you. He wants you. Did a little background. I couldn't find any baggage. He sounds like a good fit for you."

Tim chuckled. "Yeah, he's perfect for me, but I don't want him."

"Married four times and divorced three. I got enough sorrow and pain in my gut to keep three therapists busy full time if I ever allowed them to get close. I'm older. I'm moody. I'm insensitive."

McGee leaned over and took the beer out of Gibbs' hand. He nuzzled his face in Gibbs' neck and began to lightly tease the skin with his teeth. He moved again and straddled Gibbs. Cupping the older man's face in his hands, he looked into his eyes. "The heart wants what the heart wants, Jethro."

Gibbs looked at him for a long moment and reached for McGee's mouth. They kissed long and deep: sucking, nipping, and probing. McGee came up for air and groaned as Gibbs' ran his teeth along McGee's neck. The Marine's hands had taken possession of McGee's skin and slid down his back onto his buttocks. McGee thrust his groin into Gibbs. He put his arms around Gibbs' neck and continued thrusting. "Please Jethro! Make love to me! God help me, I need this!"

Gibbs chuckled into his neck. "You have no patience, Timmy."

"I don't care! I want it! Please! I'll do anything!"

Gibbs pushed him off and then got up. He grabbed Tim's t-shirt and pulled it up over his shoulders. "Gotta' undress you, Tim."

McGee started working his jeans, but Gibbs pushed his hands away. The older man unzipped McGee, and then stopped to run his hands along the skin to his buttocks and grip them firmly. He growled into McGee's ear. "I'm going to make you forget Devinder Kuba."

McGee groaned, holding his face in Gibbs' neck while the man slowly removed his jeans. He ground up against Gibbs again. "Boxers too. Boxers too."

"We're getting there, Timmy. Now let's get you into the bedroom."

Tim followed Gibbs and slid his hands under his shirt and pulled it over Gibbs' head. "Off," he announced.

McGee's fingers were working Gibbs' pants before he could react, and he had to give up any further attempts at a tease because McGee wanted skin and he wanted it now. By the time, Gibbs turned around, McGee had disposed of his boxers and he was nothing but bare butt. Gibbs shook his head and finished shucking his pants, careful to pull his briefs down as well before McGee manhandled him again.

McGee's breath came in short pants and his eyes were bright. He'd never actually seen Gibbs naked before. The hotel room had been dark when they'd coupled. Gibbs was a shorter man, but he was solidly built. McGee noted that Gibbs' cock was as long as his but thicker.

"Seen anything you like?"

McGee blinked as if embarrassed at being caught. Gibbs laughed and pushed him back on the bed. "Come on, Timmy. I want you sitting against the headboard, legs spread."

McGee scrambled onto the bed and got in position, his eyes wide.

Gibbs crawled on the bed after him. "Have you ever had a blowjob?"

McGee shook his head.

"Seriously?" Gibbs sat up on his knees.

He shrugged. "It seemed like an impolite thing to ask women to do."

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, I admit it can be a tough sell among your female partners, but man on man is a different story. I am about to give you a blowjob that will send you straight into next year."

McGee gulped. "You don't have to. It's really my turn to pleasure you."

"Believe me when I say that you'll have your turn, but this lesson in the oral arts is definitely not going to be a chore. You ready to learn something, Timmy?"

McGee lay there flushed and panting barely able to articulate a nod. Gibbs started to climb between his legs. He stopped. "Do you want to take notes? I could get your laptop."

McGee whimpered his impatience and Gibbs laughed. "Okay, first thing I'm going to do is swirl my tongue around the tip like this, and it's going to make you go blind."

…

Later that night, Gibbs was the one struggling with sleep while McGee slept with his head nestled into Gibbs' hairy chest. Gibbs stroked McGee's fine hair with his free hand. The lesson had gone on for hours. McGee came quickly the first time, and then insisted he get a chance to pleasure Gibbs. He was inexperienced and awkward, but he more than made up for it with his passion and enthusiasm and Gibbs came hard. After that, McGee was ready again, and Gibbs was able to take his time on McGee showing him more technique. McGee gripped the headboard and howled when he came a second time, and Gibbs prayed that the walls were thick enough to contain McGee's ardor.

Gibbs was in trouble and he knew it. There was going to be no quitting this kid. He'd always carried him in his heart as a committed agent and a good man, but now he had access to McGee's tremendous reserve of love and he suspected that there was no escape. McGee groaned and nestled his face higher on Gibbs' chest. He smiled at the sweetness of this young man. He may be trapped, but he could certainly think of worse prisons.

…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I am off my game. Kind of depressed over the tornado damage and other unmet responsibilities. Took me a while to put this together. It got a little dark here, probably a reflection of my mood more than anything else. If you would be so kind, please let me know how this story ended for you. Sheila

Learning Curve

Chapter 6

Fornell climbed into the back seat of the sedan next to Agent Devinder Kuba wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, and a leather biker's vest. Tony looked in the rear view mirror and groaned. "Why are you here?"

"Nice to see you too, DiNozzo." Fornell took an earwig from Kuba and fit it in his ear. "Kuba here doesn't just get to moonlight. I'm here to make it official. Plus, Jethro needs some back up in there, and frankly, DiNozzo, you can't pull off a biker bar look."

"Oh, and you can?" Tony rolled his eyes.

Ziva leaned over the front seat. "I, for one, am happy to see you Fornell. I like you."

"Thank you, Ziva," he grinned.

"Wait until he frames you for murder."

Devinder sat in the back seat, a bit wide eyed at how they were speaking to one of the most highly regarded agents in the bureau. Fornell caught his eye and shook his head. "Don't worry, Kuba. I got history with this bunch."

"McGee's going in," Tony pointed. McGee crossed the parking lot dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He looked around for a moment and said, "Tony?"

Tony pushed a button on a transmitter. "I hear you, McGee. Now you just go in there and act every bit the Probie I know you are."

Ziva pushed a different button. "Gibbs, McGee is entering the bar."

"Good," responded the transmitter. "Tell Fornell to get his lazy butt in here."

"That's my cue, boys and girls," Fornell said as he slid out of the car and followed McGee into a dive called The Nasty Habit.

….

McGee looked around the bar. It was a bikers' hangout but with a twist. There were almost no females. McGee's research told him that Gay bikers who call themselves Bears liked to come here for some fun and a little rough trade. McGee also knew that he with his baby face and thin frame would get quite a bit of attention. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long to get Tate's attention. As he scanned the place, he took note of Gibbs standing at the bar wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of jeans, but his eyes didn't linger. His job was to find Tate. He let his eyes wander slowly, looking just as lost as he felt. The bar was long and narrow, and when he didn't catch sight of Tate, he wandered toward the back where the pool tables were.

Tim knew that his role was to be the naïve kid again, surprised to run into Tate. It was so close to reality that he had to put literally no effort into his portrayal. He finally spotted him at a pool table near the back, the same two friends with him. McGee positioned himself closer, pretending he hadn't seen him. It was important that Tate spot him first.

Sound crackled in his ear. "Boss says you look too innocent, standing around like a big ol' lonely cherry popsicle. He says there are about three other guys zeroing in on you. Get closer to Tate."

McGee blinked and started to move closer to Tate. When he looked up, he saw the Sergeant staring straight at him. McGee stared back at him, sure to look surprised. Then he broke the stare and turned around, heading back toward the front. He walked fast but not too fast, and it was only a matter of seconds before he felt a sharp pull on his shoulder and he was wheeled around to face Tate. He stuttered because he knew how and it came awfully natural in the moment. "Hey, ah, ah,..s-sorry…I-I-I'm here to meet a friend. D-Didn't think I'd run into you."

Tate smiled, his hard eyes staring into McGee's. "McGee! I can't believe my good luck. You and me, we got to sit down."

"I-I-I…got to meet someone."

A powerful hand gripped his upper arm and pulled him toward a table near the wall. He pushed McGee into the chair hard and sat across from him. Anger surged through McGee and more than anything he wanted to climb over that table and show Tate just what kind of wimp he was.

More sound in his ear. "Boss says he can see your anger, McGee. You're not proving anything here. Your job is to be the wet noodle. We take care of the rest."

"You don't seem happy to see me, McGee."

McGee looked down at the table. "L-Last time I saw you, I woke up in the back of an ambulance."

"That wasn't me. You were pretty drunk. You remember that?"

Tim shook his head. "I wasn't drunk."

"You don't remember those three shots I bought for you."

McGee looked into the hard eyes. This asshole couldn't possibly think someone could buy that crap. "I don't remember any shots."

"We had a second beer. I told you about this amazing tequila. You wanted to try it. I bought you a shot. You kept asking for more."

"I don't even like tequila."

Tate cocked his head. "Well, buddy, you did that night. I tried to help you out, but you got belligerent. My friends and I left, but I heard later that someone beat you up good. I can still see the bruises on your temple."

Tate reached up to touch McGee's face and Tim flinched. "I don't remember it that way."

"What do you remember, McGee?"

"You and your friends pulled me outside and beat me up."

Tate shook his head slowly. "Why would we do that?"

McGee looked around nervously. "I know what goes on."

Tate smiled and reached over squeezing McGee's hand. "And yet here you are."

McGee pulled away. "I said I was meeting a friend."

"What kind of friend do you meet in a place like this, McGee?"

The sound in his ear made him jump. "You're doing good, Tim. Just keep pushing."

"I remember you opened the trunk. Where were you going to take me?"

"Nowhere."

Tim's eyes met his. "Would I have survived?"

Tate chuckled. "Oh my God! This shit turns you on, doesn't it? You want it rough, boy, don't you?"

McGee wanted to squeeze the life out of this man's throat. The energy building up in him was crazy. "What about the others? Why doesn't anyone arrest you?"

Tate grabbed his chin. "Nobody believes a pussy-boy. They know that little boys like you act innocent, but want everything that a real man has to offer. Boys like you cry afterward because they ain't got no dignity."

McGee couldn't keep the hate out of his eyes. This sting needed to end soon because he didn't care what kind of strength Tate had, he was going to go ape all over this guy.

"Take it easy, Tim." For a moment, McGee wasn't sure if that was Tate or Tony talking in his ear.

Tate stood up, pulling him up with him. "Boy, I can see it in your eyes. You gotta' have a piece of this, don't you? Come on."

McGee tried to pull away and Tate stuck something solid in his gut. McGee looked down and saw a small gun in his hand. Tate snaked it under McGee's shirt. "No more problems, okay McGee?"

McGee nodded. Tony crackled in his ear. "What's going on, Tim? Something's off."

"Gun," he said softly.

"Shut up, boy, or I shoot you in the gut and walk away. People around here don't ask questions."

….

Tony grabbed Gibbs' transmit button and said sharply. "Tate's got a gun!"

Ziva and Kuba tumbled out of the car and took up positions around the front door of the club.

Tony leaned over Tim's transmitter and spoke softly. "We're in position, Tim. I'm going to stay with you. It's all good. Don't worry about a thing."

….

Gibbs started moving but Fornell grabbed his arm and hissed. "Hold on, Jethro. We don't want to engage him until he gets McGee outside."

"He's got a gun!" Gibbs was wired.

"So we stay cool."

People blocked the view all the way to the back. Gibbs and Fornell waited, tensed, for Tate to emerge with McGee.

…..

Tate pushed McGee forward, but it was not in the direction of the front door. "Where are we going?" he hissed.

"I got a special little place for you, pussy boy."

McGee jumped at the sound of Tony in his ear. "He's not taking you out the front door, is he?"

"No," McGee said softly.

"Shut up, McGee!" Tate pushed him up against a door labeled Storage.

…

Tony had the car door open as he yelled at Gibbs' transmitter. "He's not taking him to the front! There must be a room in back! Abort plan!"

Tony dropped the transmitter and ran for the front door of the bar. He waved at Ziva and Kuba to follow.

…..

Tate unlocked the heavy door and pushed McGee inside. Tate's two friends followed Tate inside.

Gibbs and Fornell pushed themselves through groups of bikers, ignoring the threats from the rough men. Gibbs got through just in time to see the storage room door close. Fornell pulled his gun and held off the angry crowd gathering around them.

It was a steel door and Gibbs cursed. He kicked at it twice but it didn't move. Tony popped through the crowd just as Gibbs leveled his gun at the lock and shot it twice. Gibbs stepped back to have another go, but Tony flew past him and threw his body at it. It wouldn't yield. The effort left him wincing against the door. "There has to be another deadbolt inside."

Gibbs saw Ziva. "Get the damn key!"

Ziva turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Then two shots sounded from inside the room. Gibbs threw himself at the door yelling, "Federal officers! Open this door now!"

Tony started pounding on the door and yelling on top of Gibbs.

Fornell and Kuba backed the patrons against the opposite wall while Tobias simultaneously got on the phone with 911.

Ziva had scrambled over the bar and held a gun to the bartender's head while he babbled about not having the key. She didn't shout but whatever she said scared him to death and he took her to the office in back.

Tony ran to the wall and threw himself at the door once more, crumpling to the floor with a moan as his shoulder dislocated.

Gibbs estimated where the deadbolt might be inside and fired again to no avail. It was exactly 5 minutes and 34 seconds after Tate and company locked themselves in with McGee that Ziva came bounding down the length of the bar with a key. Gibbs grabbed it, fumbling momentarily with the lock. Then the door was open, and they all piled through, guns drawn, shouting for people to hit the floor, arms spread.

….

Inside the scene was wild. Large metal shelving was pulled down, liquor bottles broken everywhere. One of Tate's men was trapped under the shelving, moaning about a broken leg. Tate's other man was slumped against the wall with a bullet in his shoulder. Gibbs let Ziva take them as he waded through to the back of the room. There was a table with blood on it. Underneath the table, Tate lay curled up. Gibbs' eyes searched past him until he spotted McGee in a corner, his chest heaving, as he sat, eyes wide, holding a piece of metal from the shelving. Gibbs pushed Tate with his toe to confirm he was unconscious before he approached McGee. "Timmy?"

McGee blinked and looked up at him. "It's over?"

Gibbs nodded. He could see that McGee's shirt had been torn off and his pants pulled down. Gibbs heard Tony behind him. He turned. "Have somebody pull Tate out of here. Other than that, don't let anyone back here until I tell you."

Tony nodded and waded back through the debris. Gibbs knelt in front of Tim and said softly. "You sure made a mess."

"We never thought this would happen." McGee's eyes were wide and staring past Gibbs.

"I know. It's going to be a long time before I forgive myself for this."

McGee shook his head. "None of us could see it. You once told me that it happens like this sometimes. We can't cover everything."

"How bad are you hurt, Timmy?"

"Bruises mostly." Then his eyes watered. "They tried to rape me. Even with you yelling and them knowing who was out there, they tried."

"Tell me everything."

Tim shrugged. "Not much to say. I wouldn't cooperate. At one point, I grabbed for Tate's gun, and one of them got shot. The gun ended up somewhere under this mess. I kicked. I bit. I punched. I grabbed at shelving and pulled it down. They told me to stop or they'd kill me, but I didn't listen. Tate finally got me bent over the table and tore my clothes, but I bit him and got loose. I grabbed a piece of broken shelving and I beat him with it. I tried to kill him, but when you all broke through, I backed up into the corner here."

"Timmy, can you stand?"

He nodded. Gibbs pulled him up and carefully pulled McGee's jeans up past his hips and zipped them up. "I'm not going to let anyone see you with your pants down. You have too much dignity for that."

McGee stiffened as Gibbs zipped him up. Gibbs could feel the trembling in his limbs and so he held him. McGee rested his head on his shoulder, whispering to Gibbs the whole time. "I don't care what they threatened. I won't be treated like that ever. I won't allow it. They can kill me first, I won't allow it."

….

Ambulances took Tate and his men to the hospital. McGee wouldn't climb in one, and Tony wasn't going anywhere without his probie so the two of them got in the backseat of the sedan while Ziva drove them an extra half hour to Bethesda. It was hardest on Tony whose shoulder was badly dislocated, but McGee made him lay his torso in his lap and held him, forgetting his own injuries for a time.

Gibbs attempted to run the crime scene, but he was still too dangerous and so Fornell took over. For a short time, it looked like Gibbs was going to go ballastic on his old friend, but Tobias Fornell had no fear of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. They traded deadly glares for a few minutes until Gibbs finally gave up and shuffled off to his sedan. The report he would have to write on this catastrophe was going to be a job all in itself.

…..

It was hours before he got to Bethesda. Ducky was there making sure his team was getting the best possible care. Abby was there as well flitting from one exam room to the next. Luckily Ziva was there to calm her down and set limits on her frantic behavior.

Gibbs stopped to see Tony first. In addition to the dislocation, he'd actually cracked his collarbone, and so he was going to be inpatient for a couple of days. He was hopped up on pain medication and smiled dreamily when Gibbs came in. After a few minutes of conversation where Tony reflected on moonbeams, rainbows, and eternal love, Gibbs shook his head and left. A coherent report was going to have to wait for a couple of days at least.

He hesitated at McGee's exam room. Emotions in him were still running high. The young man who had so quickly burrowing his way into his heart had almost been raped, and, as team leader, there was no one more responsible for that fact than he was. He mumbled some encouragement to himself and walked in.

McGee was wearing hospital scrubs and sitting on the edge of the exam table with Ducky and Ziva. The blows he'd taken had deepened into bruises, and there was almost a haunted look on his face. Gibbs quickly turned his attention to Ducky, "What's the news?"

"Timothy can go home now. In fact, he is quite eager to leave."

"No serious injuries then?"

No one answered for a moment. The most troubling injuries for McGee were not going to be physical. He'd survived two attempted rapes in three weeks, and the one today had been more than visceral.

McGee slowly slid off the table. "I'm good. Need to go home."

Gibbs nodded. "Can I talk to McGee alone for a moment?"

Ducky and Ziva quickly slipped out of the room. Gibbs approached him. "I want to help. I want to take care of you. Please come home with me."

McGee nodded but couldn't meet his eyes. "I wondered. I actually hoped…but I can't do it."

Gibbs tried to catch his gaze. "You're angry with me. I let this happen to you."

McGee shook his head. "No, Jethro, I'm not angry with you."

"We'll pick up the dog. I'll take a few days off. You'll just sleep."

McGee looked up with reddened eyes. "Can't Jethro. I need to think. I can't do…it. I can't have man touch right now. No man touch. Please understand."

Gibbs stepped back but said nothing.

"You're not him. Tate's a monster. You're not even close, but when I felt your hands on me in the bar, just helping me up and holding me, I couldn't…I can't separate it right now. Tony can touch me, but you want something different from me than Tony. It's not the same as Tate, but it's…too close."

"I'm so sorry," Gibbs whispered.

McGee nodded. "Me too. Ziva's coming home with me for a few days. I feel very safe with her."

Gibbs turned and left without another word.

….

The first few days, the bullpen was empty save Gibbs. Ziva tried to come in the second day, but Gibbs sent her back to stay with McGee. Vance saw the report, and the two of them had a very heated exchange. Gibbs left his office and spent an afternoon writing his resignation but he never sent it. Giving up was not in his psyche, and so the two men communicated through glares and one-word answers for most of the week.

Gibbs thought about calling McGee a thousand different times, but he knew that the kid was the one who needed to make the first move. Instead, he called Ziva and got daily reports. Tony was sent home, and called Gibbs 3-4 times a day mostly because he was bored and still medicated. The drugs left Tony weirdly soft and dreamy, and he was constantly pitching team ideas like practicing yoga together or taking cooking classes. On his second day at home, Tony sent Gibbs bouquet with large lollipops planted in it and a note saying, 'To the best boss ever!'. Gibbs allowed himself a slight chuckle at that, and let it sit out despite the odd looks he got from the other agents.

Fornell came to visit him one afternoon, and Gibbs fed him Tony stories including his latest medication induced idea of writing a team song. Fornell doubled over with laughter, and even took a picture of the lollipop bouquet. Gibbs ran out of stories, but Fornell lingered. He knew that there was something bigger happening to Gibbs, and he hadn't quite put the pieces together. His old friend carried a vulnerability in his eyes that was new. Finally, he sighed and got up because Jethro couldn't share the new ache he carried in his heart.

The next afternoon, Gibbs and Fornell attended the arraignment of Sgt. Lionel Tate. He was arraigned on both federal and military charges. JAG assigned a task force to review the charges already dismissed against Sgt. Tate. FBI took over the kidnapping and dump cases from Metro because Tate had crossed state lines after he and his men had kidnapped and raped bar patrons. Everyone in the courtroom was on a mission to put the Marine Sergeant away. Gibbs couldn't have been more pleased.

….

At night, Gibbs came home and worked on a new project in his basement. It wasn't a project requiring the mastery of boat building, but it promised a possible future for him, and he felt compelled to work on it.

It was 3 a.m. on the fourth night after the fiasco with Sgt. Tate, and Gibbs was busy assembling his project. One more night and he'd be able to put it up in the background. He'd been thinking of one of the few movies he'd ever liked, Field of Dreams, and remembering the quote, "If you build it, he will come." He cycled this thought over and over in his head like a mantra, and wasn't paying attention at all when he felt something brush against his leg.

Startled, he looked down into the rather solemn face of a German Shepherd. His heart skipped a beat and he smiled. "Hello namesake."

The shepherd nosed his hand, demanding his attention. Gibbs rubbed his fingers through the thick fur, massaging the dog's neck and back. The dog leaned in for more. Gibbs responded while looking up at the stairs. McGee was seated near the top watching him. "I didn't expect a visit this late."

"I'm not sleeping so well."

"Ziva let you out this late?"

"I sent her home yesterday. I think she wanted to adopt me or something. She kept trying to change my diet and buy me new clothes. I had enough after she re-arranged my living room."

Gibbs nodded, smiling. "I imagine she gets bored easily."

"I've been thinking about you, Jethro."

He put down his tools. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

McGee sidestepped the question. "What are you working on?"

Gibbs shrugged. "The fence in my backyard isn't complete. It's missing a fourth side. Didn't need it before that side opened on the alley and I didn't have an animal to contain and…"

McGee was walking down the stairs. "You know I don't have an extra bed, and so Ziva insisted on sharing mine with me. She's like that, you know. Try keeping her out of the men's bathroom. Anyway, she's a fierce little thing. Wraps herself around you like a tornado might blow you away. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the same as when you sleep with me."

"Tate traumatized you, Tim. You didn't want man touch. That's what you called it."

Tim nodded. "It took me a few days to separate it out. He's about power and abuse and you're about sensuality and love."

"I'm glad you made that distinction."

"A fierce little Israeli is pretty good when you need support, but she can't replace you." McGee stood before Gibbs and cupped his face.

Gibbs looked up at him. "Careful, Timmy. Take it slow."

Tim reached for Gibbs' hand and pulled it around his waist. "Show me what a real man's touch is, Jethro."

Gibbs pulled McGee to him and hugged him tightly. He nuzzled his face in McGee's neck. "It's okay, Timmy. All I want to do is hold you."

Tim buried his face in Gibbs' hair and didn't move. Gibbs smiled. "Do you realize that even if we were never there, you would've walked out of that situation okay? You'd immobilized all of them by the time we broke through. Tate's got skills, Timmy. The other two were Marines. Are you aware of what an amazing thing that was?"

"I know. I didn't think about it until this morning. I mean, most of it was luck, but I wasn't going to give in. I'm stubborn like that."

"And you're tough. I'm damned proud of you."

McGee smiled into Gibbs' hair and let the man hold him until he got up and gently led him out of his basement.

….

When Tim woke, it was 10:30 a.m. He felt for Gibbs and smiled when the man were there. He rolled over and found Gibbs in his boxers calmly watching him. Then he remembered that it wasn't a Saturday or Sunday. "Did you see the time!"

Gibbs smiled. "I called in about 4 ½ hours ago. I took the namesake for a walk around 7 a.m. It's going to be okay. Ziva's going to be there, and we're still out of rotation until you and Tony get back."

"Is Tony still taking the pills? He calls me every day and tells me how much he loves me. Says I'm the brother he never had. He calls Ziva and tells her he wants to have her babies. Hasn't figured out that it's the other way around. It's hilarious. She and I recorded a couple of the calls for future use."

"Wait 'til you see the lollipop bouquet on my desk. It's not going anywhere for a long time."

McGee stroked his cheek. "You took a sick day for me, Jethro."

"I thought you could help me with that fence."

"Sure. Tell me about why you need a fence that's closed in on all sides."

Gibbs propped himself up on an elbow. "I'd like Jethro the dog to have a nice backyard all to himself."

Tim nodded. "So you and he have gotten close then."

"And I figured that it would show his owner how much I want this."

Tim felt excitement build in his gut and he swallowed. "So we're going to do this. We're going to try and make this work."

Gibbs trailed his rough hand down McGee's chest. "I don't see another way, Timmy. You make me feel like my life can be more than regrets and memories. I didn't know how much I needed that."

McGee pulled him close and started raining kisses down on his face and neck. When he reached his mouth, Gibbs stopped him. "Timmy, let me say something here."

McGee sat back, confused.

"I just told you that that you make my life better, but I was cheating you out of the real truth when I said that. I'm not good at words or emotions, but you deserve to know what I really mean." Gibbs sighed. "I'm falling in love with you, Timmy. And you need to know that what I feel for you is as real as anything I've experienced with any of my wives…even Shannon. I just needed you to know that."

McGee was speechless for a moment. Then he lay backand looked up at Gibbs. "I think I've been in love with you for a long time. I just didn't know it until that night in West Virginia. You have me, Jethro. I'm all yours."

Gibbs climbed on top of him, gently kissing him and caressing his long body. He planned to do this for hours with his young lover today. Nothing would be rough. McGee would push for more, of course. The kid was so eager to experience it all, but Gibbs would rein him in. A love like this required care and attention, and Gibbs refused to rush it. There was plenty of time to learn all of the intimacy involved when two men fell in love. And there would even be times when the sex would be hot and hard, designed for pleasure more than emotion. Gibbs looked forward to all of it, but what he craved the most right now was the love and tenderness he experienced every time those green eyes looked into his.

…

The End


End file.
